


Future

by kafrickinboom



Series: Voltron WLW Month [13]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adoption, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Future, Future Fic, Genderbending, Mass Effect: Andromeda - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, VLD WLW Month, Voltron WLW Month 2017, angara, only tagged because I used one of ME's alien races
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kafrickinboom/pseuds/kafrickinboom
Summary: Now that the risk of more battles in their future was at an all-time low, there was only one adventure they’d never had together that they’d both desperately wanted.Parenthood.





	Future

**Author's Note:**

> Wells Fargo can suck a fat one for funding DAPL, but...their [commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDsx8HfXEk) about the lesbian parents was adorable. /grumble
> 
> The Angara are a race from Mass Effect: Andromeda, in case you didn't read the tags. For any ME fans out there, the names I used are NOT the actual characters lol. I just used their names because I liked them. I don't own anything and I definitely didn't create them in my mind myself. <3

“What if she doesn't like us?” Landa said around the finger she had in her mouth, biting anxiously at her nail. 

Kath took her wife's hand, lacing their fingers together. She knew it was a futile effort to stop Landa’s bad habits when the other hand immediately went to her teeth. She huffed fondly, “she’s going to like us."

“But what if she doesn’t?” At Kath’s exasperation, she squeezed her hand. “No, seriously. What if she doesn’t like us? What if she thinks we’re weird, or she doesn’t think it’s okay to be gay, or just doesn’t like our personalities? 

“Lan…”

“What if she decides she doesn’t want us? What if she doesn’t want to be with humans? Or, well, a human and a half-human? What if she wants a normal family? What if all of these months just end up in another disappointment?”

“Lan.” 

“What if this never happens for us? What if-”

“Landa!”

Landa stopped, wide, despairing eyes finally snapping to Kath, though she kept chewing at her nail like it was the only thing that was kept her from flying off the handle. Kath shook her head, exhaustion pulling at the corners of her eyes. Landa’s stress had always been tiring for not only herself, but for everyone around her, and while Kath definitely understood it, it wasn’t helping for  _ her _ state of mind to be so damn pessimistic. 

Still, she saw the tension in every line of her wife’s body, the lines of worry etched into her aging face, the jittery energy of her nervous ticks, and it made Kath want to assuage every fear Landa had built up in her mind. Kath felt the soft smile spread on her face as she kissed the back of Landa’s hand.

“She’s going to love us. We’ve been practicing sign language since we were sent her information. I bet she wants a family as much as we do, and I bet she won’t even care that we’re human. Or half-human,” she added with a fond roll of her eyes. “I  _ know _ she’ll love us because we want so badly to love her. She’s probably not going to think we’re weird just because we’re gay, but if she does, that’ll just be the first thing we can try to teach her- that love is love, and that all kinds of couples- gay, straight,  _ whatever, _ are valid. Everything will be okay.” She said, nuzzling into their laced fingers in a rare display of public affection. 

Landa’s eyes popped wide, her lips twitching into a surprised smile that grew tender as Kath’s words filtered in. She took a deep, unsteady breath, shaking out her shoulders as if she could physically dislodge her insecurities and anxiety.

“Landa and Kath?” A cheerful voice sounded from behind them, and they startled, jerking from their little moment. Landa swallowed thickly, nodding with an adorable look of determination, and she and Kath followed the social worker to the back room.

When they got there, they sat down on the couch as the social worker explained that they’d sit there for a moment, talk about their day, how they’re feeling (Landa’s hand was practically vibrating in Kath’s as she forced the rest of herself to relax), their future, for themselves and for their new addition, and going over the last steps in the process should things go according to plan.

They’d been at this for  _ years _ now. 

After defeating the Galra (again), after restoring some semblance of peace to the universe, Kath and Landa had taken the time to really see how they’d work without the constant eminent threat of destruction, assimilation and, at times, genocide to fight against. 

Turns out, they worked alarmingly well once Landa the “rivalry” between them softened to playful banter and after they’d saved each other more times than either of them can count. Kath liked to tease Landa about her being able to cradle the other in her arms first, and Landa liked to tease Kath about being the one to throw caution to the wind and kiss her first. They fell in love like that one book said- “slowly, then all at once.” 

It was blindingly bright, Kath’s happiness. It burned through her in a way that nothing ever really had before. She’d heard about people falling in love- she’d watched the awkward, adorable mess that was Shiro and Allura unfolding, but she’d never known firsthand what it was like to wake up just wanting to make someone  _ happy _ for no other reason than to know she put that smile on their face. She’d never known what it was like to look at someone and just gently accept that she was someone else’s to love. She’d never known how time moved slow as the sweetest molasses and as fast as water through her open hands all at once, like she spend forever in a second and have hours pass by in a blink simultaneously and she just wouldn’t care as long as it was spend with the woman she’d fallen in love with.

So, after a few years of dating, and falling more and more in love with one another as time progressed (making Pidge and Hunk’s mock gagging at their affection for one another soften over time to fond eye rolls and shakes of their heads), they had a quiet, little wedding on the castle-ship. The only ones to attend were Allura, Coran, the other Paladins, and a very select few friends they’d made on various planets over the years. Kath had never seen someone so beautiful as Landa in a wedding gown, the hair she’d grown out falling over her freckled shoulders in soft waves, her eyes sparkling like sapphires in sunlight as she beamed the whole way down the aisle. Kath had never known what it was like to fill with so much buoyant happiness that she didn’t know how to come back down without Landa’s grounding hands on her own. And  _ gods, _ was it the best decision of their lives.

They’ve spent twelve years together, now in their mid-thirties. They’ve had so many amazing adventures together- becoming part of something bigger than themselves as Paladins of Voltron, visiting incredible planets, seeing incredible sights, meeting incredible people, doing incredible things. They’d saved countless people, the other Paladins and each other included, and defeated the biggest threat to not just humanity, but the entire  _ universe. _ They’d made so many friends along the way, fallen in love, gotten married, learned what married life was actually  _ like. _ Now that the risk of more battles in their future was at an all-time low, there was only one adventure they’d never had together that they’d both desperately wanted.

Parenthood. 

So, they sat there, talking to the Angara social worker, Jaal, who guided them through the entire process so far. Too many times they’d gotten their hopes up, and too many times they’d been let down. They’d considered coming back to Earth to adopt a human child, but Earth was still pretty strict on the whole “you can’t raise a child in space” thing even though countless other alien races have done it for many millennia, so they’d had had to look elsewhere.

They’d put so much time, so much effort into finding the right agency to fit them. The Angaran agency had been apprehensive at first to even consider humans acceptable parents for an Angaran child, but what with the many rigorous home study reviews, they’d come around. 

Landa was more impatient about that side of the process than Kath was. She’d completely understood the importance of making  _ sure _ they met Angaran standards, of making sure they didn’t have abusive tendencies, of making sure they were actually ready to raise an alien child, but Landa just missed having a family to call her own. She knew what they had to do in order to achieve her dreams, but she never was great at waiting (and yes, Kath knew she wasn’t exactly the patron saint of patience, but when it came to the adoption process, she made some exceptions). She’d dreamt about becoming a Mama since she was young and, according to her, ever since she and Kath “sealed the deal,” she knew she wanted that with her (Kath rejects Landa’s claims that she’d turned as red as  _ the _ Red at that). 

Anyway, once they’d completed the home studies and meetings, and cultural and biological overviews, they’d begun their search for a child. Kath and Landa had both agreed that they didn’t really have any specifics in mind for what they were looking for, really, aside from  _ not _ wanting a baby just yet. Coming from a foster system herself, Kath had been pretty adamant that they adopt an older child. It might be a little more difficult than raising a child from infancy, but it would be just as rewarding, and Kath wanted to do for her child what no one had done for her growing up- give them a family who will love them no matter what.

So, after months of trying to find a social worker interested in helping them find their future child, they’d finally found them. Or so they thought. Turns out it took even longer for the worker to find a child that would be best suited for them and vice versa. 

In that time, Kath and Landa took it upon themselves to learn the complex Angaran language. Thankfully, their pseudo family were almost as invested in it as they themselves were. Pidge learned the fastest (to the surprise of no one), and Allura and Coran weren’t far behind them (apparently, Angaran sentence structure was almost identical to Altean), so the three pitched in to tutor the rest of them. Kath is 100% positive they wouldn’t have picked it up as quickly as they did if it wasn’t for Team Voltron. 

When they’d returned for yet another scheduled meeting with Jaal, they’d updated him on their newest ability, and the pleased surprise on his face and the praise for learning so quickly was as amusing as it was flattering. It didn’t take much longer than that to find someone who might fit...if they were willing to add another language system to their repertoire. Kath wasn’t sure if she’d ever heard Landa agree to something so quickly in all their years together. 

That’s how they matched with Avela, and Kath fell in love with the very first image of this beautiful, little violet-and-periwinkle girl with eyes a blue that matched Landa’s  _ exactly. _ The awe on Landa’s face had solidified the decision for them. The fact that they’d needed to learn Angaran sign language was a non-issue. (Well, they had more to prepare for, and more to set up back on the castle-ship, but all of it would be more than worth it in the end.)

So, there they were, sitting on the couch, patiently (re: impatiently) waiting to meet their little girl.

“Are you ready?” Kath murmured excitedly into Landa’s ear, absently swiping her thumb over the back of Landa’s hand when she suddenly clenched down, threatening to make Kath’s fingers go numb. 

“So unbelievably ready, I can’t even sit still.” Landa whispered back, and Jaal smiled warmly at the two of them.

There was a few minutes of silence as Jaal completed the rest of the paperwork, and as Kath and Landa signed after reading through it all. 

After that, Jaal left to bring Avela to them, and Kath suddenly felt the urge to cry. It had just been so long that they’ve been trying to do this, and now that it’s so close, she’s almost in a state of disbelief that it’s no longer out of reach, but rather right at arm’s length. Landa was still bouncing her leg, but the nervous ticks had stopped, and Kath didn’t feel like her bones would collapse under the pressure of Landa’s grip, so Kath was going to call that a win.

There was a breathless moment when the door opposite to them opened, and the little girl they’d seen only in pictures and little video clips before walked into the room. She was just as beautiful as she was in her pictures and just as easygoing as the report said she’d be. She walked right up to them, stopping only a few feet away, curiosity shining in her eyes as she studied them. 

[Hello, beautiful.] Landa signed, and both she and Kath mirrored the beam that spread across Avela’s face.

[Hello.] She signed back as she sat down on the table in front of them.

[We’re going to be your new mommies! Are you okay with that?] Landa signed, nerves and hope and elation shining from her, but she relaxed when Avela quickly signed out the motion for an emphatic “yes,” her eyes widening along with her smile, bouncing between Landa and Kath excitedly.

Kath slid forward a bit with a watery grin. [I’m so happy!]

[I’m happy, too!] Avela looked at Kath, then Landa, and then turning around to sign something they couldn’t see at Jaal, who smiled fondly with a simple nod. When Avela turned back, she asked if she could hug them, and Kath was pretty sure she and Landa would melt through the floor from how adorable this-  _ their _ child was.

Landa wrapped her arm around Kath, holding out the other for Avela. Kath mirrored her wife, and nothing, nothing,  _ nothing, _ felt as right as fitting the last puzzle piece to their family (for now- Kath wouldn’t discount the possibility of wanting to give Avela a sibling).

They had so much to do to finalize the adoption- namely their court session later to complete the process, along with receiving Avela’s amended documentation officially stating that she would be  _ theirs. _ Their daughter. Their little Avela Novoa Kogane-McClain. They would have so many adventures together- learning one another, exploring the safe worlds, teaching Avela about life, love and family, watching her interact with her adopted family, watching Pidge teach her about technology and science and biology, watching Coran teach her how to tell stories and about other planetary customs, watching Allura tell stories of old Altea and teach Avela about the art of diplomacy, watching Hunk teach Avela to cook and bake and how to sneak people’s diaries from their roo- (Kath would have to shut that down before it even began), watching Shiro take Avela under his wing, teaching her leadership skills alongside Kath, telling stories alongside both Kath  _ and _ Landa as he recounted the days when they saved the universe from the Galra.

Most importantly, Kath was excited for the adventure of watching their child grown into a strong, independent, complex, beautiful woman just like her moms. 

Kath had never been so excited for the future.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this one! Comments and kudos are forever appreciated! <3
> 
> Next up: f!Hance, "Lazy Day"


End file.
